Called Dr. B's office to check where I was on List grrrrrrrrrr

Hello everyone:

I am kind of frustrated at the moment or for a better word discouraged to say the least...I had been talking to a good friend of mine the other day who has informed me that his surgery was yesterday for the Lapband, now mind you like me when he first went on the list it was for Gastric Bypass but once he found out that the lap was covered through medicare he called Dr. B's office and asked to be on the lapband list and then within a week or so later he receives a call to go up and sign papers etc because a while back he had gone to the session which was for the gastric bypass but didn't follow through because of work related things ...anyway to make a long story short I talked again to my friend the night before he surgery and decided well I should maybe call Dr. B's office once again and find out where I was on this long list...BIG MISTAKE   I was informed and which is already knew this part that there had been a long list of people for the lapband before medicare changed and once it did so did the list therfore dropping me even lower on the waiting list.  They told me that I was in the thousands and they were only in the 300's so I said what your saying is that I could still be waiting for a few more years right???   and she said pretty much, then I mentioned about Dr. Marc Savoie's clinic in Bathurst and where he was new to NB if she knew what the waiting list is there and she told me that they were taking names and referrals and setting up appointments so then I asked if it were possible for Dr. B's office to send my referral that was sent to them from my family doctor to Dr. Savoie's office and they said that they could certainly do that but if that happens then I am taken off of Dr B's list so now I have called Dr Savoie's office and left a message on their voice mail yesterday and I am just patiently waiting for them to call me so I can get more information and once I get the answers that I am looking for then I will contact Dr. B's office and get them to forward my referral from over 3 years ago to Dr Savoie's office and even though it means I will have to travel 5 hours from home for this I am ok with this.  I just can't wait another 3 or 4 years for the surgery when all is said and done.    I hope so much that I get a call from Dr. Savoie's office today and some better news or somethign more uplifting.

I will keep everyone posted on this if I hear from them today

Take care all
Hugs

Beth

Hi Beth

This is crazy eh....do you have this Dr in Bathursts contact info...I want to call too.  I am so frustrated with all of this...I COULD BE DEAD IN 5 YEARS!!!!

Was that Doug Epton you were tslking about?

talk soon

Ang

Yes it was Doug that had the surgery yesterday at 9:45am so I hope all went well with his surgery.  But yes very frustrating to say the least. 

I sent you a reply about Dr. Savoie's phone number and address in Bathurst.  Call me some time my number is 658-9081

take care
hugs
Beth

Get your family doctor to send your referal to Dr S's office and you will be on both lists!!  That is what others here have done.

When I mentioned that to Dr. B's secretary they said they would just send my original referral from my family doctor to Dr. Savoie's office to be put on their list and that they would take me off of Dr. B's list because the wait is going to be a few more years so she told me.  I am assuming that the waiting list to see Dr. Savoie will be much shorter then Dr. B's. 

If your family doctor sends the referal, you won't (to the best of my understanding) be taken off Dr B's list.  Dr S says that he does not have a waiting list, at least he didn't when he started a couple of months ago. He must have one by now, but it has to be a lot shorter than Dr B.

Hi Beth,

Welcome to the group!

When I have called Dr B's office in the last couple months I have been told 3 or more years too.  So I had my family doctor just fax a copy of the referral letter.  Asked my doctor on a Mon or Tues to send it, called Dr Savoie's office on that Thurs to confirm they received it and she booked my into a consult date for 2 weeks later.

This was all in Nov so now waiting for my call for the next step of meeting the nut and nurse and then going on the 2 week Optifast and then surgery this winter.

Of course word about Dr Savoie is spreading so don't waste any time.  We have a tendency of sharing news that will help others so even some from ON are checking him out as an option for the DS procedure.

Good luck, feel free to ask questions and read through the past posts for tips and information.

Merry Christmas!

Hi Michelle:

Thank you for that information, I have been a member on this site since 2006 but have been away for a little over a year due to my youngest son having two major operations in Montreal his last one being this past September 22nd so I am now finally trying to get my life in order and focusing on my health which is greatly in need of a transition and a new beginning.  I am going to be calling Dr. Savoie's office this morning once I get home from work as I work the graveyard shift until 7am monday to friday and once I find out what the wait is at this point I will then call Dr. B's office and they said they would send over my original referral to his office and go on their list but will be taken off of Dr. B's list.  So here is to hoping that I will not have that long of a wait to see Dr Savoie I just want to get this ball rolling quicker as my health is not the best and I want to be around for my kids and family. 

I hope also that if things go right that he will consider doing surgery on people that are from NB first not saying that anyone from out of province should be set back but it works the same for any of us who decide to have it done in another province or what have you they take the patients that live in their provice before out of province.  I am so looking forward to being on the loosing end of a new beginning and brighter future for myself and for all on here. 

Once you go for your consult then they will be putting you on the Optifast for the 2 weeks then surgery? Did you have to see an endcrinologist prior to all this and if so did Dr Savoie's secretary request a letter from them as well?  Also do you happen to have Dr. Savoie's fax number or is it the same as his office number because I may just get my family doctor to fax the original referral that was sent to Dr. B's office over 3 years ago to Dr Savoies office right away, I certianly do not mind driving an extra 5 hours to Bathurst if it means getting healthier for me.

Hope to hear from you soon
Cheers
and all the best

Merry Christmas
Beth